Propane propels mowers for lawn care business

Published: Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 2, 2013 at 9:04 p.m.

ETOWAH — With gasoline prices continuing to plague businesses, the owner of Cubby Lawn Care converted four of his commercial lawn mowers to propane.

Kenneth Williams’ 23-year-old business made the leap last fall.

“They are doing really well,” he said of the mowers.

Williams buys propane at about $1.89 a gallon. With gas prices in North Carolina hovering around $3.40, that savings helps his business immensely.

Not only does it save on cost, using propane leaves less of a footprint on the environment.

“It burns cleaner with less pollution going in the air,” Williams said.

Gasoline causes carbon buildup and when ethanol is added, it really puts a beating on engines, he added. Now, he changes oil less frequently and saves money on maintenance.

The conversion was a good fit for his two zero-turn and two push-behind mowers, he said.

Blossman Propane Gas & Appliances, off U.S. Highway 64 in Etowah, helped Williams convert his equipment. Williams said the conversion went well.

“I’d like to see this progress for landscapers because of the cost of fuel and equipment,” he said. “It’s a good alternative to our (main) fuel source.”

Blossman Branch Manager Kory Ball encourages the use of the alternative fuel.

“It’s a no-brainer,” he said.

Using propane reduces greenhouse emissions by 50 percent, he said, and carbon dioxide by 80 percent compared to gasoline.

It’s difficult for people to change their way of thinking despite the economic and environmental benefits, he said.

“People are used to gas,” Ball said.

There are avenues that can be taken to help residential and commercial equipment convert from gas guzzlers to the more energy-efficient fuel source. Organizations such as the Propane Education and Research Council can provide incentives for companies such as Cubby Lawn Care that want to switch over, Ball said.

“You could have your mower converted for free,” he said, if incentives are included. “Anyone in the business can save on fuel cost.”

He also pointed out that some companies will only hire environment-friendly landscape contractors.

<p>ETOWAH  With gasoline prices continuing to plague businesses, the owner of Cubby Lawn Care converted four of his commercial lawn mowers to propane.</p><p>Kenneth Williams’ 23-year-old business made the leap last fall.</p><p>They are doing really well, he said of the mowers.</p><p>Williams buys propane at about $1.89 a gallon. With gas prices in North Carolina hovering around $3.40, that savings helps his business immensely.</p><p>Not only does it save on cost, using propane leaves less of a footprint on the environment.</p><p>It burns cleaner with less pollution going in the air, Williams said.</p><p>Gasoline causes carbon buildup and when ethanol is added, it really puts a beating on engines, he added. Now, he changes oil less frequently and saves money on maintenance.</p><p>The conversion was a good fit for his two zero-turn and two push-behind mowers, he said.</p><p>Blossman Propane Gas & Appliances, off U.S. Highway 64 in Etowah, helped Williams convert his equipment. Williams said the conversion went well.</p><p>I’d like to see this progress for landscapers because of the cost of fuel and equipment, he said. It’s a good alternative to our (main) fuel source.</p><p>Blossman Branch Manager Kory Ball encourages the use of the alternative fuel.</p><p>It’s a no-brainer, he said.</p><p>Using propane reduces greenhouse emissions by 50 percent, he said, and carbon dioxide by 80 percent compared to gasoline.</p><p>It’s difficult for people to change their way of thinking despite the economic and environmental benefits, he said.</p><p>People are used to gas, Ball said.</p><p>There are avenues that can be taken to help residential and commercial equipment convert from gas guzzlers to the more energy-efficient fuel source. Organizations such as the Propane Education and Research Council can provide incentives for companies such as Cubby Lawn Care that want to switch over, Ball said.</p><p>You could have your mower converted for free, he said, if incentives are included. Anyone in the business can save on fuel cost.</p><p>He also pointed out that some companies will only hire environment-friendly landscape contractors.</p><p>It’s the way of the future, Ball added.</p>